Ella Takes a Forest Walk with Merlin. This is an unedited  excerpt from World Within Worlds. Read more about Merlin in the book.   My feet pound against the forest floor, hamstrings straining with the sudden burst of speed. Merlin, my cream Burmese, races ahead and I sprint after him, determined to let him have a good run before he gets to the end of his leash and must yank to a stop. He slows a little as the leash tightens, then races ahead again as I catch up. His destination is in sight. I just have to keep up a little while longer, but my heart is pounding now, and I wish I was as fit as I had been when I had danced 6 hours or more a day. He leaps up the rock, paws scrabbling at the top as he fights to pull himself over the edge. He makes it, he always does, then sits above me, looking down with his head cocked, his bright eyes telling me how clever he is. 'Yes, you're a clever boy,' I say. He licks a paw then runs it over his face and behind his ear, … [Read more...]